Attaching knobs



(No Model.)

H. A. MATTHEWS. ATTAGHING KNOBS.

No. 441,883. Patented Den. 2, 1890.

' UNITED STATES j PATENT OF ICE.

HENRY A. MATTHEWS, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICU '1.

ATTACHING KNOBS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,883, dated December 2, 1890.

Application filed June 9, 1890- Serial No. 354,695. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, HENRY A. MATTHEWS, of Vaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements in Attaching Knobs; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute partof this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a longitudinal section of the knob and door, showing a side view of the spindle; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the spindle, illustrating the operation of the dogs; Fig. 3, an end view of the spindle, showing the dogs projected; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, modifications.

This invention relates to an improvement in attaching metal knobs, such as used upon stoves and for similar purposes. I11 the more general construction of this class of knobs they are provided with a spindle or stem projecting from their inner end, which will pass through the metal door or to whatever it is attached and the end riveted down upon the inside, or the stem is screw-threaded, and a nut applied. In either case the knob frequently loosens and becomes detached. The riveting is the preferable and more general construction, because of less liability of accidental detachment than the nut; but in many cases it is desirable that the knob shall he re movable.

The object of my invention is a construction whereby the attachment may be made permanent, and yet the knob readily be removed, and at the same time the knob be held firmly in its position; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

The knobs are made, usually, from sheet metal and in two or more parts.

a represents the outer or head portion, and b the body portion, of a metal knob contracted sothat the head may project around the body, these two parts being united bya lap-joint d. This is a common construction of knob, and

' sufiicient for the illustration of the invention.

Through the knob is a spindle A. This is knob is to be attached, and also to project through the outer end of the knob, as shown.

The spindle is construct-ed with an annular shoulder e, which will abut against the inside of the knob to prevent too great projection of the spindle through the knob at the front.

Within the knob a spring is arranged, preferably a spiral spring 0, one end of which bears outward against a shoulder f on the spindle, the other end resting at the inner end of the knob, the tendency of this spring being to force the spindle outward and so as to bring the shoulder e to a bearing within the knob. The spindle projects through the door B, and so that when pressed against the spring and through the door a fastener is applied to the inner end of the spindle, which will take a bearing upon the inside of the door, and so that the reaction of the spring will draw the said fastener against the door upon the inside and press theknob upon the opposite side of the door,thus grasping the door or whatever the knob is attached to between the knob and the said fastener. As represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this fastening consists of a pair of dogs g h, hung in a longitudinal slot 1', made diametrically through the spindle. These dogs are hung upon a pivot Z so as to swing in aplane parallel with the axis of the spindle, that they may be turned forward, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2, to bring the dogs entirely into the slot, but so that when the dogs are turned outward, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, they form a transverse cross-head in the spindle extending in opposite directions, and so as to bear upon the surface of the door, as seen in Fig. 2. These dogs are constructed with abutting shoulders m, so as to prevent their turning beyond the required transverse position. Springs a may be arranged in the spindle, against which the dogs will strike when turned inward and which will be compressed as the dogs are turned to their extremeinward position, as representedin broken lines, Fig. 2. With this construction the dogs yield as they pass through the hole made in the door, turning forward and against the springs until the spindle has passed through the hole in the door; then the springs will throw the dogs out sufficiently to engage the inner surface of the door; then the reaction of the spring 0 will draw the spindle outward and bring the dogs to their set position. This construction of the dogs makes the attachment automatic, and is desirable for that reason.

If the knob is to be removed, the head of the knob is grasped by two fingers of one hand, while with the thumb of the same hand the spindle is pressed inward, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 1, until the dogs maybe turned into the spindle, so as to pass through the hole in the door; then the spindle is ready to be withdrawn, so as to detach the knob.

The springbetween the spindle and the knob should be of a strength somewhat greater than the maximum pull which is required to be made upon the knob, as in opening the door, so that the spring will be able to resist the pull without permitting the knob to yield.

I prefer the pair of dogs hung upon the same pivot, and so as to be projected in op- 'posite directions; but one of the dogs may be omitted and the spindle provided with a shoulder against which the dog may come to a bearing, as seen in Fig. 4.

Instead of the automatically-operatin g dogs which I have described, a pin may be introduced through the inner end, as seen in Figs.

1. A sheet-metal knob consisting of ahead a and body b, the body of less diameter than the head, combined with a spindle extending longitudinally through the body, and the outer end of the head constructed with an opening through which the outer end of the spindle projects, the spindle constructed with a shoulder e to bear upon the inside of the head of the knob around said opening, and the spindle also constructed with a shoulder f within the knob, the spindle extending through the corresponding opening in the inner end of the knobfwith a'spring within said knob, oneend of the spring taking a bearing against said shoulder f and the other end of the spring against the inside of the. knob, the tendency of the spring being to force the spindle outward, and a fasteningdevice at the inner end of the spindle, sub stantially as described.

2. The combination of a knob, a spindle A, extending longitudinallythrough said knob, the spindle constructed with a shoulderf, a spring within the knob and adapted to bear against said shoulder f, tending to force the spindle outward, the spindle projecting from the inner end of the knob and constructed with a longitudinal slot at the said projecting end, with one or more dogs hung upon a pivot in said slot and so as to swing in the plane of said slot, and ashoulder against which the said dogs may restiu their projected position, sub stantially as described.

, HENRY A. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

F. C. ABBOTT, A. F. ABBOTT. 

